Article August 18, 1928 Issue

Losing Human Will in Divine Will

GRACE NIXON STECHER

Often when journeying out of the Egyptian darkness of materiality toward the promised land of Spirit we are called upon to relinquish human opinions that may seem right. Mrs. Eddy tells us in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 192) that "human opinions are not spiritual. They come from the hearing of the ear, from corporeality instead of from Principle, and from the mortal instead of from the immortal."

Human opinions are phases of human will; and we cannot progress very far without learning that human will cannot be relied upon to govern us properly, and that it must give place to the divine. Human will is a counterfeit of the will of God, and has no place in the divine order. Until one can say sincerely, "Not my will, but thine, be done," he has scarcely even glimpsed the promised land, much less partaken of its fruitage. Human will outlines its desires and then proceeds, if possible, to obtain their fulfillment. God's will reveals His purpose, and enables the one who has received the revelation to follow the light. Human will drives; divine will leads and controls harmoniously.

The question may arise, How is one to know which is human will and which is divine? Human will operates from the basis of human desire; divine will operates from the standpoint of pure spirituality, and is revealed through the "still small voice" of Truth, often in the midst of apparently convincing human testimony urging thought in the opposite direction.

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